Government to crack down on ‘cosmetic cowboys’ performing liquid Brazilian butt lifts on the high street
Ministers said that patients who choose to have cosmetic procedures deserve to know they are in safe hands and not risking their lives
The Government has launched a crackdown on “cosmetic cowboys” performing liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs) on the high street in a bid to drive out rogue operators and raise standards across the board.
Ministers said that patients who choose to have cosmetic procedures deserve to know they are in safe hands and not risking their lives.
The Government also remains committed to bringing in a licensing scheme to ensure “lower risk” treatments such as Botox and lip fillers remain safe.
Under the new rules, treatments that involve injecting fillers anywhere other than the face, such as BBLs, would be legally defined as cosmetic surgical procedures – meaning they can only be performing by qualified medics.
Other high-risk treatments such as deep chemical peels and vampire facials – which use microneedling to inject platelets drawn from a patient’s own blood back into the face – would be restricted to doctors, dentists, some nurses, midwives and pharmacists.
Those who flout the rules could be hit with unlimited fines or fixed penalties up to £4,000.
Health minister Karin Smyth said: “If you’re planning to undergo a major cosmetic procedure, you deserve to know you’re in safe hands – not risking your life with a rogue operator.
“These changes mean that only properly trained professionals can carry out the most serious, high-risk procedures, and that young people will be shielded from treatments that can go badly wrong.
“We want to drive cosmetic cowboys out of the market and raise standards across the board, giving reputable businesses a fair chance to thrive by helping people identify safe, qualified providers they can trust.”
The Government will launch a consultation asking for input from doctors, regulators and businesses to draw up draft regulations.
The blueprint will then go through the parliamentary process, which is currently planned for spring 2027.
Elsewhere, the Government also said it remains committed to implementing a licensing scheme to ensure anyone providing treatments such as Botox and lip fillers meet strict safety standards.
The consultation follows the death of Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five who died after having a liquid BBL performed in a salon in Gloucester in 2024.
Ashton Collins, co-founder of Save Face - the register for safe medical aesthetic practitioners, has been campaigning for tougher rules since 2023.
She said: “For too long, non-healthcare practitioners have exploited a regulatory loophole to carry out high-risk procedures, including liquid BBLs and facelifts, on members of the public.
“This has led to serious and life-threatening complications, including the death of Alice Webb, and victims have been left without justice.
“This consultation gives the public, practitioners, and experts the chance to help shape the final framework. We urge everyone to respond, and we look forward to the legislation being brought before Parliament so that it can be enacted as soon as possible to prevent further harm.”
Victoria Brownlie, chief policy and sustainability officer at the British Beauty Council, said: “Over a number of years, the line between a beauty treatment and a medical procedure has blurred.
“A lack of regulation in what has become a booming market has led to an exploitation of these gaps, placing members of the public at serious risk.
“I believe this is a vital step toward the required regulation and commend the Government for tackling this issue head-on.
“Their assurance that a licensing scheme for ‘lower risk’ treatments will follow is also much welcomed as a vital turning point to ensure the highest standards of competence and care across the beauty and aesthetics sector.”
Keith Allison, cosmetic surgery co-lead at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said the consultation is “long overdue” but the proposals “do not go far enough”.
“If the Government strengthens regulations for non-surgical procedures while leaving cosmetic surgery largely unchanged, it will create an unacceptable gap in patient protection,” he said.
“A doctor should not be able to carry out cosmetic surgery simply because they hold a medical licence.
“We want the Government to ensure that anyone performing cosmetic surgery has the appropriate surgical training and expertise for the procedures they undertake. Patients deserve to know that their surgeon has the qualifications, skills, and experience relevant to the specific operation they are having.
“As these proposals are developed, ministers must ensure they do not create a new loophole in patient protection by regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures more robustly than cosmetic surgery itself.”